1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to applicators for applying lengths of web material to a surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art web applicators for applying a length of web material to a surface, such as tape heads where the web was coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive, the receptor was either driven past the applicating head and the web was applied to the receptor surface or the head was moved and the article remained stationary, and such relative movement of the head and surface dispensed the web onto the surface. Cutting means were provided for cutting the web at a predetermined time interval or upon a predetermined length of tape being dispensed.
Other tape applicators include applicators for applying pressure sensitive adhesive labels to a product. These applicating heads are stationary. As the product to be labeled moved by, a drive means moved a liner around a stripping edge to separate the liner from the pressure sensitive adhesive coated label. The separated label was then applied to the surface of the article as the same moved past the label applicating head.
Differing from these prior art devices, the device of the present invention provides a drive means for an adhesive web which is separated from a liner and applied by an applicating roller to a stationary surface as the head is moved about the surface by an automatically controlled mechanism such as a robotic arm which is attached to the frame of the applicating head in a manner that it will permit the head to position the applicating roller on the surface and rotate on the automatially controlled mechanism as a portion of that mechanism on which the applicating head is mounted moves along X, Y and Z coordinates to manipulate the position, height and speed of the applicating head.